Nov. 15, 2011
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Last week, just prior to the 2011 MPSF Tournament, Coach Fishbein’s hometown newspaper caught up with him for a little bit of insight into the magical Lobo men’s soccer season. Fishbein took time out from his team’s preparations this week to answer Five Questions from The Enquirer’s Rory Glynn:
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(RG): What does being No. 1 mean to you, and what does being unbeaten mean to you?
(JF): We’re all very happy with the accomplishment, but it’s part of the past now, is how we view it. Our focus is on two upcoming single-elimination tournaments, our conference tournament and the NCAA Tournament. We want to win the conference tournament and get the most number of games at home (in the NCAA) that we can. So it’s a nice achievement, but in a lot of ways it has no carryover to what lies ahead. We all know soccer is a game where crazy things can happen.
(RG): You were a successful head coach (at Fort Lewis College and Incarnate Word) before coming to New Mexico in 2000 as associate head coach (to Klaus Weber, whom Fishbein replaced the following year). How did you move this program forward?
(JF): We’ve been fortunate. We’ve been blessed with great players and great coaches to work with. Two of my assistants were Jamie Clark, who’s now head coach at the University of Washington, and Carl Junot, who’s head coach at Harvard, two wonderful guys who I was honored to have the chance to help them along in terms of their careers. Really, it’s just been hard work and a lot of people who have put it in: players, coaches, administration, marketing. It’s a collaborative effort.
(RG): Coaching and playing, you’ve lived in some great places, from Durango, Colo., to Santa Barbara, Calif., to Australia and New Zealand. What’s your favorite?
(JF): Man, I’ve been in some good spots. Nothing beats New Zealand. I was back there in July and it was just as special as it was 20 years ago. I feel fortunate. I’ll say this, though, my heart’s always in Cincinnati. Cincinnati is home. It’s where a lot of my best friends are. It’s where my mom is. Every place is special for the people you surround yourself with. I’m most fortunate to be surrounded by special people.
(RG): What was the most important thing your father taught you?
(JF): Just to be a good person, hard-working, humble, respectful. To contribute to your community. I’ve tried to live my life with those principles. I think about my dad every day. I miss him. I know he’s sharing this season and my life with me.
(RG): Your wife, Alicia, was an accomplished tennis player at New Mexico, and you have two daughters. Do they play soccer or tennis?
(JF): My wife played a couple of years professionally, and she was an alternate for Mexico for the Barcelona Olympics (in 1992). But the girls play soccer. Definitely soccer. They’re really good. But we keep a pretty good balance.
To read the full article, please visit: Five Questions with Jeremy Fishbein
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New Mexico will host a second-round game in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship tournamnt. The No. 10 Lobos will take on the winner of Thursday’s Georgia State vs. Duke match-up on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. at the UNM Soccer Complex.
At more than 40 of this year’s NCAA championships, game-day programs will be available in digital format, free to college sports fans everywhere.
IMG College Publishing is partnering with the NCAA to provide fans free access to selected NCAA championship programs before, during and after the events on smart phones or computers, in an environmentally friendly manner.
The digital game publications, beginning with the preliminary rounds for the Division I men’s and women’s soccer championships, will be available to all fans via NCAA.com/gameprograms. The DI men’s soccer-specific guides are also available by clicking on the following link: Division I Men’s Soccer Digital Guide. The digital programs can be downloaded via the Internet to any electronic handheld device for access at any time or place.